


Better Off Friends

by TrisPrior111



Category: kleo - Fandom
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-08 16:53:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13462476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrisPrior111/pseuds/TrisPrior111
Summary: When Leo comes to England to visit Kate after her third failed marriage, they become closer than ever and realize how much they love being together. Will they decide to take the risk of trying to be in a relationship or decide that they are better off friends?





	1. Something Good

Leo jumped when his phone vibrated on the table next to him. He was on his lunch break from a shoot and had almost been falling asleep. He smiled when he saw that it was Kate calling him, the little icon of them together from the Oscars last year staring up at him from the phone screen, until he realized that since it was quite late in the day in LA, it had to be the middle of the night in England.

He felt his stomach drop and immediately swiped right to answer the call.

“Kate?”

He thought he heard her let out a breath, and there was pause before she said, “Leo, thank God. I didn’t know if you would answer.”

“Are you alright?” He knew it wasn’t really a question, since he had heard the tears in her voice.

Another pause. “Yes, I--I’m fine. It’s just … Ned and I have had a fight. It was really quite terrible. And I hate it when the kids see us fighting. He left a few hours ago to go God knows where, and I’ve been trying to sleep, but I just can’t, and I … well, I didn’t know who else to talk to.”

He heard the sound of a dish being set on the counter, and the corners of his lips twitched into a smile.

“Are you having tea?”

He could almost hear her smile from the other end of the phone.

“Yes, of course. It’s my second cup. It always calms me down when nothing else will.”

The image of her standing in her kitchen stirring milk into her tea and probably standing at the counter in a robe, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, made his smile widen.

He cleared his throat. “Well, um, do you want to talk about the fight?”

“God, no. I called you so you could distract me.”

He chuckled. “Alright. Well, what do you want to hear?”

“Something good,” she said quietly.

He swallowed. “Um … oh! Actually, there is something I’ve been meaning to let you know. The film I’m shooting for--we’re wrapping up in LA pretty soon, and the next part is shot in London. It’s in about a month. I know you’re busy, and you’ve got the kids and all, but we could get together, if you wanted. You could bring the kids--I’d love to see them.”

“Of course I want to, Leo! We haven’t seen each other in ages. I would offer for you to stay here, but I suppose that wouldn’t be too convenient if you’re filming all the way in London. But, I mean, if you want to stay here for a while before if you have a break, you could do that.”

“I do have about a two week break, but are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing on anything,” she assured him. “My kids love you, you know that.”

“Well, I was actually talking more about … Ned. Is he going to mind? I don’t want to make things worse,” he said, recalling how jealous Sam had been of their relationship when they were filming Revolutionary Road. 

“Leo, to be completely honest, I’m not even sure we’re going to last the week.”

“Kate …” he said quietly. He couldn’t think of what else to say. He wished more than anything that he could be there with her, not able to stand the thought of her standing alone in her kitchen thinking about this.

“And if by some miracle we do, he’ll just have to deal with it. He can’t stop me from having friends over.”

He took a breath and was about to reply when the director poked his head in the door.

“Leo, you ready? We’re starting the next scene in five.”

He nodded. “Got it. I’ll be right out.”

“Kate--”

“You can go, darling. Don’t let me keep you.”

“Are you going to be alright? I don’t feel right hanging up and leaving you like this.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, Leo, seriously. It’s not like I haven’t been through this before.”

“Are you sure? I can tell them I’m not ready.”

“Go, Leo.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. Talk to you then.”

“Bye.”

“Goodbye, Leo.”

* * *

Kate sighed as she put her phone down, sitting down at the table and taking a sip of her tea.

“Mum?”

She started and looked up to see Mia standing in the entry to the kitchen, pulling on a black sweatshirt with the name of her high school printed on it in bold lettering.

“Gosh, you startled me. Did I wake you?”

Mia shook her head, sitting down across from her at the table. “I’ve been awake. Were you on the phone just now?”

“Yes, with Uncle Leo. He might come and stay with us in a few weeks.”

Mia brightened. “Really?”

“He’s shooting in London, but he has a break before that starts, so he’s going to visit us for a while.”

“That will be great!” Mia said. “I haven’t seen him in forever.”

There was a brief pause, and Kate reached out and put her hand over her daughter’s.

“Honey, I’m sorry you heard us fighting earlier.”

“It’s okay, Mum. It’s not your fault.”

“It is, though. I shouldn’t be exposing you guys to this. Are Joe and Bear awake too?”

Mia shook her head. “Just me. Mum … are you and Ned getting a divorce?”

Kate felt her heart clench as she looked into her daughter’s eyes. She was almost 17 (although she swore the last time she looked at her, she had just been learning to walk), but still really not that old. And yet she had been through two of Kate’s failed marriages and had had to deal with the repercussions of moving houses and schools and having to start over with new classes and friends and having men come in and out of her life so quickly. It was almost like a routine, and they were just going through the motions again.

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Kate said, giving Mia’s hand a squeeze. “I don’t know right now.”

Mia got up and sat down next to her mother, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Surprised, Kate hugged her back. It had been a long time since they had been together alone like this with how busy they always were, and even longer since her daughter had shown her any form of physical affection like this because of her moody teenager phase.

“You know, it’s okay if you get divorced,” Mia whispered. “It’s more important that you’re happy.”

Kate bit her lip to stop tears from falling and pressed a kiss into Mia’s hair. “Thank you, darling. I don’t know much of anything right now. We’re just going to have to see how things go, alright? I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”


	2. Chapter 2: Planning

Kate called Leo again at the time they had agreed upon the next evening. She had put Bear to bed, and Mia and Joe were both upstairs in their rooms. And Ned was gone, again.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Leo,” she said. She was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea.

“So … how is everything?”

She sighed, absentmindedly running her fingers through her hair, not caring about what a mess it probably looked like.

“It’s not good. He came back this morning hungover, as usual, and then we had a huge argument about his drinking issues and how he’s never home. He says he’s working, but I highly doubt that. Most of the time when he says he’s working late, that’s code for him getting smashed, and honestly, I …” 

She took a deep breath, not sure if she was ready to say the words out loud. They had been circling around in her mind for some time, but she had never actually said them because then it would make the possibility of them being true real. She wasn’t ready to hear Leo tell her that she might be right.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Leo, I think … I think he might be cheating on me.”

She bit her lip, hating the way the words tasted in her mouth. Leo was silent, which she took to mean that he was thinking the same thing she was, and probably had been since she had first started talking about what was going on with Ned.

“It’s just the whole working late thing … and he’s never home. I don’t know where he goes! It’s just so hard because he used to be so different! He was kind and caring and funny, and he loved both me and my children so much. He used to go to all of Joe’s rugby games and sit out in the kitchen with Mia and help her study for exams. I thought I had finally found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but now I feel like I’m trying to hold onto something that’s just crumbling in my hands the more I try to fix it.”

Her voice broke, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, not wanting Leo to hear her cry.

“Oh, sweetheart …” he said, and she knew he had heard her anyway, so she just let all of the tears she had been holding in finally come out. “Kate, you have no idea how much I wish I could be there with you right now.”

“I wish you were here too,” she said through her tears. “Leo, I just wish he would tell me! It’s this not knowing that’s killing me. If he really is cheating on me, I wish he would just put me out of my misery and tell me already.”

“How much do the kids know?”

“They know we’re having problems, but I haven’t really told them anything specific. They’re smart, though. They know.”

“Kate, I promise it will be okay, alright? No matter how bad it seems now. You and your kids will make it through this. And sooner than you know it, I’ll be there.”

She set her mug on the coffee table and pulled her knees to her chest, taking comfort in his reassuring voice.

“Speaking of that, we need to figure out the specifics of your visit. Have you booked a flight yet?”

“Yes! It’s two weeks from tomorrow. I get into Heathrow at … hang on, let me check … five. And then I’ll rent a car and drive to you, so I won’t get there until the evening.”

“Do you want us to wait for you to eat dinner?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll probably just get takeout or something on the way there.”

“Alright. Well, I’ll touch base with you again before you come, okay?”

“Okay, Kate. Take care of yourself.”

“I will,” she said quietly.


	3. Chapter 3: Tea

Leo rung the doorbell of Kate’s house at eight o’clock two weeks later, his rental car parked in the driveway and his suitcase beside him. He tugged up the zipper of his black three-quarter zip sweatshirt and rubbed his arms, trying to keep himself warm. 

Kate opened the door and immediately flung herself into his arms before he could even say hello.

“Leo,” she whispered. “It’s so good to see you.”

He chuckled, hugging her back tightly and stroking her hair. She smelled like lavender, just like always.

“It’s good to see you too, Katie.”

When they separated, she stared at the ground for a moment before taking a deep breath and finally looking at him. He noticed that her eyes were slightly bloodshot.

“Are you okay?”

She bit her lip and shook her head quickly, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Kate …”

“You should come in, darling. What am I doing, keeping you out here in the cold?”

She opened the door all the way and ushered him inside. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but just then, the kids’ voices echoed down the hall.

“Is Uncle Leo here?”

“Uncle Leo!”

There was a thundering of footsteps down the stairs. Kate pulled the handle up on his suitcase.

“I’m just going to take this to your room, okay? We can talk later if you’re not too tired.”

She squeezed his arm and disappeared down the hallway as the footsteps got louder, and then he was being bombarded.

“Hello, hello!” he said as Bear all but jumped into his arms. He picked him up and spun him around, and the toddler giggled.

“It’s so good to see you, little man! How are you?”

“I’m good, but mommy was crying all day.”

“She … she was?” he stammered, slowly setting him down and looking at Mia and Joe.

“Yeah,” Mia said quietly as she stepped closer to hug him.

“We knew something was wrong as soon as she picked us up from school, but she won’t say what. She was in her office with the door shut, but we could still hear her crying.”

She glanced at Joe. “We know it has something to do with Ned, but we’re not sure if it’s just another fight or if they’re really getting divorced.”

Joe nodded, biting his lip. “We’re just really glad you’re here, Uncle Leo.”

“Me, too,” Leo said as he hugged him. “Me, too.”

“If she’ll talk to anyone, it’s you,” Mia said. “She--”

“Did you need something to eat, Leo?” Kate’s voice drifted down the hall, and seconds later, she reappeared in the entryway.

“No, no, I’m fine, thanks,” he said. “I got a sandwich at the airport.”

“Alright. Something to drink? I was going to make tea.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They followed her into the kitchen, and the kids sat down at the counter. Everytime Leo saw her, he hoped against hope that maybe this would be the time he would stop feeling for her--when he would look at her and realize he didn’t love her anymore. But now he wondered how he had ever thought that was possible.

“Are you all done with your homework?” Kate asked, getting the kettle down and filling it with water. She adjusted the gray oversized cable-knit sweater she was wearing as she set the kettle on the stove.

“Yep!” Joe said.

“Not quite,” Mia mumbled.

“What does not quite mean?” Kate asked, turning around once she had lit the stove.

“I still have an essay to finish,” Mia said, hopping up to sit at one of the stools at the counter.

“How much more do you have?”

“My last two paragraphs. It’s not long enough.”

“What is it about?” Leo asked.

She pushed off the counter so the stool swiveled to face him. “Oliver Twist. I have to talk about what aspects of the Victorian period it reflects.”

“Joe, could you get the mugs down, please?” Kate said.

“Sure.”

“Well, after you get your tea, I want you to finish that up. Do you need help?”

“Well, yeah, maybe. A little,” Mia said.

“Alright. And Joe, could you also get the tea down while your at it? Just get herbal. I’m not going to have you all bouncing off the walls when it’s time for bed.”

Joe nodded and opened a cabinet filled with tea.

“What kind do you want, Uncle Leo?”

“Hmm, let’s see,” he said, walking to the other side of the counter to see what they had. “Orange spice sounds good. I’ll have that.”

“Mia, I’ll be up in a minute!” Kate called once she had poured everyone’s tea and sent Mia and Joe upstairs.

“Okay!”

She turned to Leo. “I’m going to put Bear to bed and then help Mia with her essay. I put your suitcase in your room, and there are towels in the bathroom. Let me know if there’s anything else you need, okay?”

“I will. Is there anything I can do?”

Bear walked over and wrapped his arms around her leg. She smiled, leaning down to ruffle his light brown curls. She sighed when she looked back up at him, running her other hand through her hair.

“I feel bad asking you to do anything when you’ve been travelling all day and you’re--”

He gently lay his hand on her arm. “I don’t mind, Kate. I really don’t. Just tell me what needs to be done. You’re letting me stay here--it’s the least I can do.”

She bit her lip. “Do you think you could … change the sheets in my bedroom? I--this is going to seem like a weird thing to ask of you, I know. But just please… don’t ask questions. I’ll explain everything later, I promise.”

“Of course,” he said.

“The new ones are in the cabinet right next to the bedroom. Thank you, Leo. I really appreciate it.”

“Do you want me to put the old ones in the washer?”

“That would be great,” she said. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Kate picked Bear up, and he closed his eyes as soon as his head rested against her shoulder.

“Someone’s sleepy!” Leo said as he followed them up the stairs.

“Uncle Leo?” Bear asked, opening his eyes and lifting his head up.

“Yes, buddy?”

“Are you going to help mommy not be sad anymore?”

He could see Kate stiffen as they came to the top of the stairs. Leo reached out to smooth a hand over Bear’s hair.

“I’ll certainly try, okay?”

“Okay,” Bear whispered.

Kate kept walking without looking at him and disappeared into Bear’s room. Leo slowly walked the rest of the way down the hall to Kate’s room and turned the light on. The dark gray comforter and sheets were a rumpled mess, which was surprising to Leo, because he knew Kate always had to have her bed made neat as a pin everyday.

Even though she had asked him to go in there, it still felt like he was invading her privacy somehow. He tried to just focus on stripping the bed and not look around too much, but inevitably his eyes strayed to her nightstand when he was standing right beside it, pulling the corner of the fitted sheet off. 

There was a book and a pair of reading glasses sitting on top of a stack of papers. He looked at the spine of the book to see that it was Oliver Twist. He smiled. She must have been reading it as Mia read it for school so she could help her with her homework. Laying next to the stack was a small tube of lavender vanilla hand cream.

When he got around to the side close to her vanity and mirror, he couldn’t help but look at that either. There were pictures taped all around the mirror, mostly of the kids--school pictures, Mia’s prom photo, and some of them all on vacation. There was even one of him with her from last year’s Oscars. But there were none of Ned that he could see.

He shook his head and quickly finished taking off the sheets. He didn’t want Kate to come in and find him looking at her things. He went downstairs and put them in the washer and then went back to her room and started making the bed with the new sheets and pillowcases.

She came in as he was smoothing down the comforter.

“Thank you so much, darling,” she said, and he turned around.

She had pulled her hair back into a loose, low ponytail, some of the strands in front that had fallen out framing her face. Her hands were folded in front of her, and she was looking around the room uneasily, her eyes scanning every surface.

“Is … are the, um, the sheets alright?”

“What?” she asked, as if coming out of a daze. Before he could speak, he seemed to realize what she had said. “Oh, yes. Right. They’re fine. Yes. Exactly how they need to be. Thank you.”

“No problem. I put the other ones in the wash.”

She seemed to slip back into a trance again, staring at the bed.

“Kate?”

Her eyes snapped up. “Oh! I was just … I needed to grab my glasses. You know, I try to leave a pair in each room, but then I always forget where I put them.”

She grabbed them off of her nightstand.

“Mia’s almost done. We’re just working on her conclusion.”

“Okay,” he said. “I think I’m going to get ready for bed. Just come get me when you’re done, okay?”

She nodded. “I will.”

He was brushing his teeth when he saw Kate come into the room in the bathroom mirror. He quickly finished, leaving his toothbrush by the sink, and stepped back into the bedroom. Kate was sitting on the edge of the bed, her head resting in her hands. He sat down next to her, unsure of what to do.

He didn’t want to push her, so he just sat in silence and waited for her to speak. Finally, she lifted her head, and his heart clenched when he saw her eyes filled with tears.

“Leo, I--”

The tears spilled over onto her cheeks, and she pressed a hand to her mouth.

“I--I was right. Ned …”

She burst into tears and stood up quickly, starting to pace the room and press her hand to her mouth again in a vain attempt to hold her tears back. She always had to do this, Leo noticed. She always had to keep up the facade of being fine as long as possible, always tried to be strong even when she didn’t have to.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking deep breaths while she paced back and forth. “It’s just … saying it out loud is going to make it real, and I don’t know if I can handle that.”

She took another sharp inhale and turned around to face him. “Ned cheated on me.”

She looked so small and fragile to him then, standing there with her shoulders slumped and tears streaming down her face.

“Oh, Kate,” he said. “Come here.”

She let out a hiccuping sob and sat down next to him again, and he pulled her into his arms. He felt her tense up, still valiantly trying to hold back her tears, before she finally let go and started sobbing hard against his chest, relaxing into his embrace.

“Katie, sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he whispered helplessly, trying to think of the right thing to say but coming up with nothing. “I’m so sorry.”

She slowly pulled away and looked forlornly at the ground. “He’s been cheating on me. It wasn’t just a one-time thing. This is stupid to be so upset about, I know. I thought he might be--you remember, I told you on the phone--but I was thinking about it in the way you think about something that’s too awful to be true, like it can’t really be happening … but then it did.”

“It’s not stupid to be upset about it, Kate,” he said. “You have every right to be upset.”

“I still feel so shocked though, and I shouldn’t. Our marriage was falling apart--literally crumbling around us for the past month--I knew it was going to end. I don’t know why this is affecting me so much. It was so cliche, too. What you would see in every movie. I had a meeting with my agent this morning, and I told Ned it was going to go until 12:30, but we got done early, and I was home at noon. And he … he was with another woman.”

She burst into tears again, burying her face in his shoulder.

“She was so young, Leo. She was young and thin and gorgeous. And he said … he said it had been going on for a year!”

She cried harder, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“I mean, why didn’t he just tell me? Then we could have avoided all of this.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know,” Leo whispered. “I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve to be treated like this.”

She pulled away, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry for keeping you up, darling. I know you’re probably exhausted. We can talk more tomorrow, okay? I just have to take the kids to school, and then I’ll be here all day.”

She started to get up, and he stood up with her and gently took her arm. She looked up at him.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked. “I’m okay with staying up later if you need to talk more.”

“Leo, I’m fine. Really, don’t worry about it.”

She started walking down the hall to her room, and he saw her hesitate.

“Kate?” he said hesitantly, stepping into the hall so he could see her better.

She turned around, and he saw that her eyes were filled with new tears.

“Oh, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

He crossed the hallway in long strides, closing the distance between them and putting his arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just … I …”

“You don’t want to be in there alone. Is that it?”

She nodded.

“I can stay with you.”

“Really? Leo, if you would that would be just … wait. That won’t work.”

“Why?”

“I have to take the kids to school in the morning. My alarm goes off at seven, and then I’ll have to get ready and everything. Never mind, it will be fine. I’m just being silly,” she said, pulling away and starting to walk toward her room again.

“Hey, hey, no you’re not,” he said. “What if we both slept in my room? You could just bring your phone. Your alarm might not even wake me up, and if it does, I’ll be able to go right back to sleep.”

She slowly turned back around to face him. “Are you sure? Leo, I really don’t want to--”

“Kate,” he said, putting his hand on her arm. “It’s fine. Really.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “Just let me get ready for bed.”

He nodded as she disappeared down the hall and into her bedroom. He got into his bed, and even though he was exhausted from the day, he stayed awake until he felt her carefully crawl in next to him.


	4. Chapter 4: Pictures

Kate was cleaning up the kitchen the next morning after she had taken the kids to school when she heard Leo walking down the stairs.

“Good morning, darling,” she greeted him as he came into the kitchen in plaid flannel pajama pants and a gray t-shirt, running his fingers through his hair.

“Good morning,” he replied.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Great. Didn’t even hear your alarm.”

“Oh, good,” she said as she put a handful of silverware in the dishwasher compartment. “Did you want anything for breakfast? I made the kids toast and eggs this morning. I could do the same for you, if you want.”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” he said. “Is there anything I can help with?”

She waved him off. “Just sit down. You’re my guest.”

He laughed and pulled out a chair at the table while she got out the bread and eggs from the refrigerator. 

“Thank you for … staying with me last night,” she said, turning around to face him after putting the bread in the toaster. “I just didn’t want to be where … well, you know.”

“Of course, Kate,” he said. “It really wasn’t a big deal.”

She turned around again after giving him as close to a smile as she could and cracked two eggs over the pan she had on the stove.

“What’s the plan for today?” he asked.

“Nothing too exciting, I’m afraid. Grocery shopping and errands, picking the kids up--although it might just be picking Bear up from preschool because Joe has rugby practice and Mia was possibly going to a friend’s house to work on a project. And I have a conference scheduled with Bear’s teacher right after they get out.”

She plated his food and set it in front of him, joining him at the table.

“Thank you,” he said, scooping up eggs with his fork and starting to eat.

She smiled. “Of course, darling.”

“So when do these exciting errands begin?”

She rolled her eyes. “As soon as possible, really. I don’t know if you want to come, but if you do, I’ll wait until you’re done.”

He shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Otherwise I’d just be sitting around here all day.”

“Alright,” she said. There was a moment where neither one of them spoke, and the only sound was his fork against the plate.

“I’m sorry I just dumped everything on you last night,” she said, picking at a thread on the pale blue placemat in front of her. “I didn’t even ask you how you were doing or what was going on in your life.”

“You don’t need to apologize. And, well, I’m doing okay, I guess.”

“What’s this film you’re shooting about? Is it another one of your crime dramas?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Maybe.”

“Do you live?”

“I can’t disclose that information,” he said in a mock-serious tone.

“Well, this is no fun,” she joked, sitting back in her seat and folding her arms across her chest. “I guess I’ll just have to ask you about something else then. What is this I hear about you having a new girlfriend?”

“Camilla?”

She nodded. “Did you call her last night?”

“Right after I landed.”

“Is it serious?”

“No,” he said with a smirk.

“Why did I even ask?” she said, shaking her head. “Are your relationships ever serious?”

“Hey,” he said, pointing his finger at her. “Bar and Gisele. Those relationships were serious.”

“And you and Bar broke up … what? Like seven years ago now?”

“What’s your point?” he asked through a mouthful of toast.

“Don’t you want to have a serious relationship? So you can ... settle down? Have kids?”

“I have your kids,” he pointed out.

“But kids … of your own? That doesn’t sound appealing to you at all?”

He shrugged, swallowing his last bite of toast. “Not really. I guess that life’s just not for me.”

“Are you going to keep dating 20 year old models until you’re in your mid-seventies?” she pressed on.

He gave her a cheeky grin. “If they still want me.”

“You’re disgusting,” she said, giggling. She decided to let the topic drop for now, but she really was curious as to why he never dated seriously.

* * *

Leo went with her to run errands, and they dropped all the groceries off back at the house before leaving again for Bear’s conference. Mia ended up going to a friend’s house for the project, so they just had to pick up Bear.

“Would you mind keeping him entertained outside while I go to the conference?” Kate asked as she parked the car outside the preschool.

“Not at all,” Leo said, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Otherwise, what am I here for, anyway?”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“Uncle Leo!” Bear squealed, running up to him as soon as he set foot on the asphalt surrounding the playground outside. Kate had gone into the classroom.

“Hey, buddy! How was your day?” Leo scooped him up into a hug.

“It was good! Want to see the drawing I did?”

“I sure do!”

He set Bear down, and Bear opened his backpack and pulled out a painting of a pink and orange fish.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Leo said as Bear handed it to him.

“I drew it because mommy says you’re saving the oceans.”

He laughed. 

“You can have it, if you want,” Bear said shyly, folding his hands behind his back.

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Okay, but only if you’re sure. Wouldn’t your mom want to hang it on the fridge or something?”

“I’ve given her lots of other ones,” Bear explained. “This one’s for you.”

“Well, thank you so much,” Leo said, ruffling his hair. “I’m going to put this on my fridge at home.”

“All done! Are we ready?”

Leo looked up to see Kate walking towards them briskly, adjusting the strap of her purse as she walked.

“Yep!” Leo said, still holding the painting. 

“What’s that?” Kate asked as they started walking towards the car.

Leo held the fish up for her to see. “Bear gave it to me.”

“Well, that was nice of you!” she said to Bear, and he grinned up at her.

“I had already given you so many that I thought Uncle Leo needed one too.”

“That was very thoughtful,” she said as she opened the car door for him and lifted him up into his carseat.

“I had time to draw you one too,” he said, opening his backpack and pulling out a painting of a vase of pink and red flowers.

“Oh, this is beautiful!” she said as she took it from him.

“I asked Miss Ackers what people usually do for people who are sad, and she said they gave them flowers. So I thought this would be close enough. They’re supposed to be roses.”

“They’re lovely,” Kate said.

Leo could see that she was biting her lip, a telltale sign that she was trying not to cry.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You’re welcome!” Bear said, and Kate buckled his seatbelt.

Kate started making dinner when they got home while Leo played with Bear in the living room. Kate went to pick Joe up from rugby practice, and Mia got home from her friend’s house; soon, the house was alive with bustling and noise as it had been the night before.

“Joe, do you still have your shoes on?” Kate asked as she stirred the vegetables she was sauteing over the stove. “Because it sure sounds like it, and I think you know that shoes are not allowed inside, especially your muddy rugby cleats.”

A grunt echoed from down the hall, and Kate sighed.

“How did your project go?” she asked Mia.

“It went okay,” Mia said, twisting her strawberry blonde hair up into a bun and securing it with a pencil as she set a binder and textbook on the counter. “Some group members are more dedicated than others is how I’ll put it nicely.”

“Are people not doing their work?”

“Kind of. Part of the project is making this study guide thing, and the guy that was supposed to do it basically just plagiarized Sparknotes, so now we have to redo it, because he didn’t even bother showing up this afternoon.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Kate said, turning to face her as she spooned the vegetables into the bowls she had set out.

Mia shrugged. “It’s okay. We get to peer review everyone at the end, so we can make sure the teacher knows he didn’t do his part.”

“Joe, it’s time for dinner!” Kate yelled, and another grunt came from upstairs.

Over dinner, they discussed the lazy member of Mia’s group project some more, as well as Joe’s upcoming math test that he hadn’t started studying for yet. 

“I’ll be upstairs,” Mia said after she had put her dishes in the sink. “Just have to rewrite the Sparknotes plagiarism.”

“Okay,” Kate said, squeezing her arm. “Don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t,” she replied, and disappeared around the corner.

“And you,” Kate said, pointing her finger at Joe, “need to study.”

He groaned. “But there’s a rugby match on tonight!”

“Record it. Schoolwork comes first.”

“Fine,” he mumbled. “But I don’t even understand any of it.”

She sighed. “Why didn’t you think of this and ask your teacher for help more than two days before the test?”

“Because he’s awful! He wouldn’t have been able to explain it to me anyway.”

She looked at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. “Well, I can try to help you after I clean up the kitchen and put Bear to bed, but I’m not sure how much I’ll know. I think you’d have better luck with your teacher than me.”

“I could help,” Leo said. “Or at least do something. Let me clean up the kitchen.”

She raised her eyebrow at him. “Do you remember how to do algebra?”

“I’m sure I remember a thing or two.”

“Alright,” she said.

Leo went upstairs with Joe. As soon as they got into his room, which was covered in posters of rugby players and bands, he turned on the TV and recorded the match.

“Okay,” Joe said, leading Leo to his desk and gesturing to his textbook and practice packet. “Do you know how to do any of this?”

Leo remembered more algebra than he thought he would. An hour later, they had gotten through almost three sheets of practice problems.

“Knock knock.”

Leo turned around, expecting to see Kate, but instead, it was Mia who stood in the doorway, wearing a gray sweatshirt and leggings, her hair still in the same pencil bun from earlier.

“Hey,” Leo said. “What’s up?”

She sat down on the bed, exchanging a quick glance with Joe before asking Leo, “How was mum … today?”

“She was okay,” he said carefully. He wasn’t sure how much Kate had told the kids about what had happened with Ned, and he didn’t want to give anything away that she wasn’t ready to share.

“Did she say anything about what happened?” 

Leo sighed. “Look, I’m sure she’ll tell you soon, when she’s … ready. But she’s going to be okay, alright?”

Mia nodded.

“Your mom is strong. Remember, I know these things. I’ve known her longer than either of you have,” he said with a wink.

Mia smiled, and they heard footsteps coming down the hall.

“What’s going on in here?” Kate asked, stepping into the room and smiling when she saw Leo. “Some studying got done, I hope.”

“It did,” Joe said, proudly holding up his packet. “Uncle Leo helped me.”

Her smile widened. “That’s great.”

“I was just saying goodnight,” Mia said, getting up.

“Okay. Sleep well, sweetheart,” Kate said, giving her a hug.

“You should go to bed, too,” Kate said to Joe, who was filing his papers away at his desk. “You need to get some sleep. I don’t want to hear the rugby match come on later.”

He yawned, shutting his binder. “Don’t worry, mum. I’m just going to finish my reading for English and go to bed.”

“Alright,” she said, kissing the top of his head. “We’ll let you get some sleep.”

“Good night,” Leo said.

“Thanks for your help, Uncle Leo.”

“No problem, bud. See you tomorrow, okay?”

Joe nodded, and Kate and Leo slipped out of the room, closing the door behind themselves.


	5. Chapter 5: Not Your Fault

“Do you want a drink?” Kate asked once they had reached the bottom of the stairs. “Because I need one.”

Leo smiled. “Sure. Did you put Bear to bed and everything?”

She nodded. “Is red okay?” she asked, holding up the bottle of wine she had pulled out of the cabinet.

“Yep!”

She poured two glasses and carried them over to the couch.

“Thank you so much for helping Joe,” she said as she handed one of the glasses to Leo.

“Of course! It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Well, I really appreciate it. He has problems with getting motivated to do anything but something related to rugby, so the fact that he studied for over an hour without even complaining about it is kind of amazing.”

Leo smiled, and Kate swirled the wine around in her glass.

“When I was putting Bear to bed,” Kate said without looking up from the red whirlpool she was creating, “he asked me where his dad was.”

“And what did you say?” Leo asked softly.

“I said something vague--like he was away on business and would be back soon. I … I don’t know what to do about telling them. I almost told Bear then, and I thought about telling Mia and Joe when we were in Joe’s room just now. But I want to have them all together, and even then …” she trailed off and shrugged, taking a sip of her wine.

She looked up at Leo. “I’m pretty sure Mia and Joe know already, or at least have a pretty good idea. Have they asked you about it?”

“Yes, but I didn’t tell them anything. I figured you wanted to be the one to tell them.”

She nodded. “Thanks,” she said quietly. “I just … God, I don’t know. I don’t want to tell Mia and Joe because they’ve been through this before, and I don’t want to tell Bear because he’s never been through it. I don’t even know if that makes any sense.”

“No, it does,” he said, gently putting his hand on her leg. “But I think it will be okay. They know it’s not your fault--they’re not going to blame you or anything.”

“I feel like I’m letting them down,” she whispered.

“But you’re not,” he said. “This wasn’t your fault, Kate.”

“It was to some degree!”

“It’s your fault Ned cheated on you?”

She sighed, running the hand that wasn’t holding her wineglass through her hair. “If he was cheating, it was because he was somehow unhappy with me, with the life I had given him.”

“But that’s still his problem,” Leo insisted.

“Yes, but it’s my problem, too. There’s something about me or something I’m doing that causes my marriages to fail.”

“Why would you think that?”

She bit her lip, trying not to cry. “Because after three failed marriages, Leo, the only conclusion I can draw is that it’s me, not them.”

“You’ve been with three guys, Kate. Three. Out of everyone in the world. They were just the wrong people.”

She shook her head. “That’s really sweet of you to say, but I just … I feel like I might not even be meant to get married.”

“Just give it some time,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. She curled up against him, and he began to stroke her hair gently. “You’ll find someone who will treat you right one day. You’ll find someone who will appreciate you and treat you like a queen, and someone who will love your kids as much as you do.”

“But that’s the problem,” she whispered. “It always seems that way at the beginning. That’s how Ned acted when I first knew him. But then it turns out that I was … wrong, and the whole thing was a lie. I’m done. I just have to be done, at least right now. I can’t bring someone else into my kids’ lives, only to have them leave … again. I feel so bad about that. I have no idea what that’s going to do to them psychologically, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be good.”

“But they have you,” Leo reminded her. “You love your kids more than anything--I can see it, and they can see it, too. That’s never going to change. You’re a great mother, Kate.”

“A good mum wouldn’t keep bringing men in and out of their lives,” she pointed out.

“But you’re there for them. Always. And you didn’t know your marriage with Ned would turn out the way it did. I know you don’t believe me right now, but I hope someday you’ll see that it really isn’t your fault.”

“I have to tell them,” she whispered. “This is getting ridiculous. I’ll tell them tomorrow morning.”

“Do you want me to be there?”

“Yes,” she whispered, and tucked her head under his chin. 

“Alright,” he said, pulling her closer.

He desperately wished there was some way to make her believe him--to make her see what a wonderful person she was and how she deserved so much more than the way she had been treated in the past, and how it wasn’t her fault.

“I’m sorry that … all this is happening while you’re here,” she said after a few moments, pulling away slightly so she could look up at him. “I know you were just coming for a visit before you went to London, but I’m sure you didn’t expect to walk in me grieving over the ruins of my marriage and have everything be such a mess. But selfishly, I’m really glad you’re here right now.”

A tear slid down her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb. “I’m glad I’m here too, Kate,” he told her honestly. “I didn’t come with any expectations, except that I wanted to spend time with you and your kids, and I’m doing that.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

They stayed out on the couch a while longer, not really saying much and just enjoying each other’s company, until their wine glasses were empty and they could barely keep their eyes open anymore.

“Do you want to stay with me again?” Leo asked once they had gone upstairs.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” she said hesitantly, her eyes darting between him and her room down the hall.

“Of course it isn’t,” he assured her.

He brushed his teeth and got into bed, waiting for her just like the night before. But ten minutes went by, and then twenty, and she still wasn’t there, so he slipped out of his room and tiptoed down the hall, trying not to wake up the kids.

“Kate?” he said when he got to her room. He knocked on the door softly, but there was no response. Then he heard what sounded like muffled crying coming from inside.

He opened the door and stepped inside, hoping she wouldn’t be angry with him. If she wanted to be alone, he would leave, but he couldn’t stand the thought of her crying alone in her bedroom.

She was sitting on her bed, turned away from him with a photo album open in front of her. And she was sobbing.

“Kate?” he said again, gently closing the door behind him.

She jumped, turning around to look at him.

“Sorry,” he said, staying close to the door incase she wanted him to leave. “I didn’t meant to scare you, and I’ll leave if you don’t want me to be here, but I … heard you, and I didn’t know if you were okay.”

She shook her head rapidly, pressing a hand to her mouth to try to make herself stop crying. “You can stay,” she finally said.

He got up on the bed and sat next to her. His eyes travelled over the page the album was open to that was filled with pictures of her and Ned when she was pregnant. There was one of them out at a restaurant, a few of them out in the city, and some of them at home making silly faces. The last one on the page was of her holding a newborn Bear in her arms at the hospital.

“I know I’m being ridiculous right now,” Kate said, reaching over to her nightstand for a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. “It’s just … I’ve spent all my energy since yesterday being angry with him, and I haven’t even really been sad. But now that’s all I feel. Even though it was complete shit at the end, we had something real. And it’s just now hitting me that that’s gone.”

“Kate,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms and letting her cry against his chest. “You’re not being ridiculous. You’re allowed to be sad, okay? You’re allowed to feel this way. It’s alright.”

“Let’s just sleep in here,” she whispered once her tears had subsided.

“That’s fine with me,” he said.

She closed the photo album and set it on top of her dresser, and they both got into bed. Unlike the night before when they had just slept next to each other, she curled up close to him, and he put his arms around her again, kissing the top of her head.

“It’s going to be okay, Kate,” he whispered. “I know it might not seem like it now, but it will be.”

Falling asleep together like this reminded them both of a very similar time almost ten years earlier.


End file.
